1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a robot control system and method, and more particularly to a robot control system and method which can control motion of a robot in real time through an upper controller while working of the robot.
2. Description of the Related Art
On the recent industrial spots, diverse kinds of robots are used. Hereinafter, the control of a welding robot will be explained as an example.
As shown in FIG. 4, the conventional welding robot system includes a welding robot 51 for performing a welding operation, a sensing section 57 having a laser vision sensor for sensing a distance between a base metal (not illustrated) and a welding torch (not illustrated) and an image of a welding path, a robot controller 53 for controlling to perform the welding along an accurate path by compensating for an error of the welding path through a motion control of the welding robot 51 based on a sensed signal sampled from the sensing section 57, and an upper controller 55 for the whole control of the welding robot system such as welding-related data process, position control of the welding robot 51, control of additional equipment, etc.
If the upper controller 55 transmits to the robot controller 53 working conditions such as the supplied voltage, distance between the welding torch and the base metal, supplying speed of wire, weaving speed of the welding torch, etc., and a welding start command, the robot controller 53 performs the welding operation by driving the welding robot in accordance with the command from the upper controller 55. The robot controller 53 samples various kinds of sensing information on the welding state provided from the sensing section 57, and controls correction of the present motion of the welding robot by comparatively analyzing the sampled sensing information through a currently commercialized motion tracking algorithm.
According to the conventional welding robot system as described above, once the upper controller 55 gives the working start command to the robot controller along with the working conditions, the motion control of the welding robot 51 during the welding process is performed by the robot controller 53. Thus, it is actually impossible that the upper controller 55 controls the motion of the welding robot during the welding process.
Accordingly, although a user serves to monitor the whole welding robot system through the upper controller 55, the improvement of unity and suitability in controlling the whole welding robot system cannot be effected through the motion control during the welding process.
Meanwhile, in case that any dangerous object that may collide the welding robot exists during working or the motion of the robot should be changed for a particular reason in the general robot control system having a robot controlled by the upper controller 55 and the robot controller 53, it is also impossible to change the path of the robot during its working operation in the same manner as the welding robot system.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a robot control system and method which can control the motion of a robot through an upper controller during working.
In accordance with the present invention, the above object is accomplished by providing a robot control system for controlling a robot that performs working on a working path between a specified working start point and a working end point, the robot control system comprising an interrupt request signal generating section for generating a signal for requesting change of the working path of the robot, an upper controller for generating an interrupt signal including a specified changed value for changing in real time the working path of the robot in accordance with the interrupt request signal generating section, and a robot controller for controlling in real time the operation of the robot in accordance with the interrupt signal from the upper controller.
Preferably, the robot controller has a built-in program that includes a specified parameter for transmitting/receiving the interrupt signal from the upper controller.
The upper controller and the robot controller may transmit/receive the interrupt signal by a parallel communication method.
Preferably, the interrupt request signal generating section is at least one of a manipulation panel that can be manipulated by a user, a laser sensor, vision sensor, and vision camera.
The robot controller can change the working end point of the working path based on the changed value included in the interrupt signal by controlling in real time the operation of the robot in accordance with the interrupt signal.
In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a robot control method for a robot control system having a robot that performs working on a working path between a specified working start point and a working end point, an upper controller for receiving various kinds of signals from the outside and controlling as a whole the working of the robot based on the signals, and a robot controller for controlling the operation of the robot in accordance with a command signal from the upper controller, the method comprising the steps of inputting to the upper controller a signal for requesting change of the working path of the robot, the upper controller generating an interrupt signal that includes a changed value of the working path of the robot and transmitting in real time the interrupt signal to the robot controller, and controlling in real time the operation of the robot in accordance with the interrupt signal.